TNI held two Fellows meetings during 2011: in Amsterdam in June and Durban South Africa in December. In Amsterdam, Irish, Spanish and Syrian activists linked the Arab Spring movements with the growing tide of protest against European austerity measures. In Durban, TNI fellows Praful Bidwai and Susan George packed out a local bookshop as they presented their latest books.

The annual TNI Fellows’ meeting in Amsterdam in June brought together more than 40 activist scholars to discuss global issues using the framework provided by TNI Board Director Susan George’s new book Their Crises, Our Solutions. The lively debates at TNI’s offices (summarised below) were accompanied by a well-attended public event on the future of aid in De Balie, a central Amsterdam venue.

2008 saw the convergence of three major global crises: credit, food and climate. TNI has been at the forefront of these issues for many years, warning that free market fundamentalism could have these consequences. What analytical tools can help us understand these crises? Which countries and regions of the world will most shape the planet’s future? What alternatives are emerging? The annual TNI Fellows’ meeting provided some thoughtful insights into the challenges TNI should prioritise as it plans its work for the coming years.

Deregulated financial capital now dwarfs most national economies, and has resulted in wealth transfers from the poor to the rich. Yet finance is also crucial for investing in public services and pensions, and for supporting social enterprises. What regulation does finance need? What kind of tax systems could redistribute wealth? What are the implications of the rise of institutions like the Bank of the South?

In 2006, China marked its twentieth year of rapid economic growth. It is increasingly acknowledged as an economic and political superpower that could one day rival the US. However, little is still known in the West about the dynamics of China’s politics and economy, and its impact on workers and the environment. Does China’s “economic miracle” really live up to its name? Can China’s repressive state be reformed? What voices for change are emerging? What are the implications of China’s actions on the global stage?

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